Welcome back to another Spark Social Report by Spark Growth! Let’s touch on some of the latest social media updates and marketing trends, including TikTok adding new filtering features for its Livestream. Keep scrolling for more updates!
Marketing Trends
Pinterest shared some insights on emerging post-COVID travel trends. The data provided will give marketers in the traveling industry an opportunity to get ahead in planning their campaigns. According to Pinterest’s data, travel searches are up 19%, but searches for specific destinations are down 14% compared to 2019. People are looking to travel but may not have a specific destination in mind. Marketers can leverage Pinterest’s findings to create campaigns centered around travel-centric keywords that consumers are searching for.
Facebook shared some “spooky” insights for Facebook Marketplace. The guide highlights Halloween trends as well as tips on how to leverage these on Marketplace. Trends include Halloween costumes for you and your pet as well as home decor and DIY items. As for tips, the company recommends reselling old costumes, purchasing in the month of October for free shipping, or buying locally. The insights are just a way to help inspire Halloween spirit and help marketers on Marketplace get ready for the event.
Social Media Updates
TikTok
In an effort to combat hate and harassment, TikTok expands its filtering features with mute settings for comments and questions during live streams. Hosts can now temporarily mute specific viewers who post harmful comments in the Livestream. If an account is muted after a certain amount of times, their entire comment history will be erased. TikTok’s Livestream is a way to help connect creators with viewers by building a community, and in order to build a safe and healthy one, features like muting harmful comments can limit negativity on the platform.
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Next, TikTok launched its “Discover List,” an inaugural list highlighting 50 influential stars on the platform. Influencers are listed in different categories, ranging from changemakers, innovators, and foodies, which can all be discovered on a dedicated mini-site the platform created. Users are able to check the specific categories to discover even more creators that are trending in their communities.
Next, new features are coming to Facebook Marketplace, including notifications, shipping options, as well as insights on trends and responsible shopping. Users can now be notified when new listings match with their search by creating a saved search on Marketplace. On top of being able to shop locally, U.S. buyers and sellers can now take advantage of expanded shipping options. Facebook has also provided some insight on Marketplace trends, top searches, and popular categories. When it comes to shopping on Marketplace, the company also offered tips on how to buy and sell responsibly, some of which include creating and sharing a meet-up plan so loved ones know where you are heading, meet-up preferences, protecting personal information, and meeting in a well-lit public area. With these new features, users have more options and opportunities to shop and will be safer when making their purchases.
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Radu Oncescu tweeted that Facebook is testing ‘Quick Access’ tabs, allowing users to have easier access to their most visited profiles and pages. Though the feature is only in the testing phase, it may be an exciting feature in the future for users to easily jump to their most loved pages on the platform.
https://twitter.com/oncescuradu/status/1449978930438492162
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Lastly, the company has also improved its policies to combat online bullying and harassment on its Facebook and Instagram apps. The policy is meant to protect users from mass harassment and intimidation and the company will be removing coordinated efforts that target individuals. The latest updates also protect public figures, such as politicians, journalists, celebrities, and creators. Facebook will be removing content such as severe sexualizing content, pages or groups dedicated to sexualizing public figures, as well as attacks through negative physical descriptions mentioned on a public figure’s account. These efforts help make Facebook and Instagram a safer space for all users.
Instagram announced Live Scheduling for its Live option, enabling users to schedule their streams ahead of time. Creators will now be able to announce their upcoming stream 90 days in advance so followers can set reminders to tune in. It’s an opportunity for creators to promote their stream on the app while also letting followers know what the stream may be about.
Going Live hits different when your followers come through 🙌
Live Scheduling lets you schedule your stream up to 90 days in advance and followers can set reminders to tune in ❤️🔔 pic.twitter.com/8t7BWmjEL7
— Instagram (@instagram) October 13, 2021
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The company also rolled out a variety of new feature tests and new updates.The Head of Metaverse at Facebook Reality Labs, Vishal Shah, tweeted that Instagram is testing Collabs, a feature that would allow users to co-author Feed Posts and Reels. There is no set release date for the future but it’s an interesting feature that can result in a lot of engagement. On the other hand, updates that have been released include new effects on Reels, which will increase engagement and user experience with new fun tunes and visual effects. On top of that, Reels will arrive on desktop, allowing users to be able to post short-clip one-minute videos!
The app also added new metrics for creators to help them gain insight into audience engagement. One new metric includes “Reached Audience,” which provides insight on where your audience is located and their age range. Especially with the holiday season fast approaching, new metrics and insights will be able to also help marketers with their digital marketing strategies and plans.
App researcher Alessandro Paluzzi tweeted an update on how Instagram is testing out longer videos for its Stories. Users may be able to post minute-long videos without the post being broken up into segments, which also hints to users possibly being able to post full Reels onto their Stories as well. Currently, long videos are broken into smaller 15-second chunks, which makes for a disjointed viewing experience. If the test is successful, it would mean that users will have a more streamlined video experience on the app.
#Instagram is working on longer stories 👀
ℹ️ Videos up to 60 seconds will no longer be broken up into segments. pic.twitter.com/FihDOTymEL
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) October 19, 2021
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After all the feedback, Instagram has finally announced that users will be able to upload photos and videos via desktop! Instagrammers will now be able to upload videos less than a minute long and photos which will provide users with more ways to experience and engage with the platform. For social media managers, this new feature increases work efficiency and decreases time consumption, and will overall help streamline their workflow.
Twitter is currently testing ads in Tweet conversations! Twitter Revenue Product Lead Bruce Falck Tweeted about the ad format the app is testing out, only a few select iOS and Android users globally will be able to partake in the test. Although the feature does not have an official release date, it would be another opportunity for brands to connect with users on Twitter. The test is currently running on iOS and Android only for select users around the world.
https://twitter.com/TwitterBusiness/status/1448320926307786757
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WhatsApp expands its joinable calls feature to group chats so now users can join ongoing group calls after it has already begun to say what’s up. On top of that, users will receive notifications that display the group chat name rather than participants’ names, making it easier for users to see which groups are in live calls when opening the app. The expansion of the feature makes for more fluid conversations and gives users time to join in on conversations when they’re available. If you feel the need to reenact real-life conversations as if you were running fashionably late to dinner with family or friends, now’s your chance!
Need to pop in and out of a group call? Easily join ongoing calls right from your group chats! pic.twitter.com/OtOHKXh5Ev
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) October 18, 2021
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The company also announced its “Collections” feature that makes shopping on the app more user-friendly. The feature allows businesses to organize their products by category, making it easier for users to find the items they want and add them to their carts. Collections also make the shopping experience a lot more enjoyable for users, rather than scrolling through an endless stream of items. Users can simply dive right into the category they are looking for.
Lastly, the Facebook-owned app collaborated with Spotify for its “View Once” feature. View Once is a feature that allows users to send photos and videos in chats that can only be viewed a single time. With this campaign, artists like Wes Nelson and Zoe Wees are supporting the launch by sharing short clip videos and curated playlists through the new feature.
Snapchat
Snapchat announced its new “Snap Originals” that will feature top music artists, athletes, and digital-native creators. Users on the app will be able to hear authentic stories from their favorite celebrities and influencers, ranging from mental health topics to inspiring stories. So far, Snap Originals has only made its way to its U.K. audience but the company is looking to expand internationally.
YouTube
YouTube released a new series of livestreamed shopping events just in time for the holidays. The video-streaming platform is making shopping more accessible by expanding video action campaigns to connected televisions (CTVs) to help advertisers drive business and generate leads. Viewers that see video action campaigns on their TV are invited to click a URL at the bottom of their screen to continue shopping on a brand’s site. This feature can pop up on their desktop or mobile device and won’t interfere with their viewing session. Targeted ads on CTVs make it easier to target an engaged audience, all the while making it easier for consumers to shop for their loved ones.
Pinterest introduced “Takes,” a new way for users to engage with creators’ ideas with their own Idea Pin! Takes is meant to spark inspiration amongst users and empower creators to build passionate communities. As part of the rollout, additional publishing tools will be added, including seasonal and interactive stickers, new music tracks, as well as video and music editing capabilities! This feature is available to mobile users on iOS and Android around the world.
Another major update for the app is the redesigned home feed. It includes a new “watch” tab that features Idea Pins that will keep users engaged for hours on end. At this time, this new feature is only available for mobile users and in markets where Idea Pins have been released.
That’s all for this week’s Spark Social Report! Make sure to follow us on Twitter for other social media updates and more!
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